Chef Anton got it from his grandma

Anton Amoncio got introduced into the art of cooking through his grandmother. It was always him in the kitchen with his grandmother who, Anton recalls, would feed him tinola, sinigang, adobo, tofu, lugaw, etc. 

Anton says that he witnessed how his grandma worked things up in the kitchen. “I grew up with my grandma and her cooking. Even when I had my own resto, she would always cook for me.” Tinola has become comfort food for Anton. “Every time I get sick, my grandma would feed me tinola,” he says.

Anton is the first Filipino to have won the grand prize in the Asian Food Hero competition in Singapore. He was also one of the celebrity chefs invited by Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence to take part in Let it Snow, a celebration of Canada’s 150th founding anniversary. There he showcased the Filipino bistek, morcon and sinigang using Canada beef.

As a chef and foodie, Anton follows the careers of many great chefs and looks up to some. He also dreams of cooking for Queen Elizabeth, Elon Musk, among others. 

Here are two questions we asked of Anton:

Name 10 people you want to cook for and why?

1. My grandmother — she was the one who inspired me to cook at a very young age, and cooking for her is so rewarding. She still gives me tips on cooking Chinese food the right way, and I still crave for her home-cooked dishes.

2. My mom — the person who raised me to be who I am today. I am always nervous whenever I cook for her because she has always been my greatest critic.

3. Family — would love to cook for them as a way of saying thanks for always being such a great support system. Whenever I stumble, they are always there, ready to pick me up.

4. Boy Abunda — He is one of the smartest people I have ever met. He believed in me back when no one did. I would consider it a great honor to be able to cook for him.

5. The Queen of England — To be able to cook for royalty is quite a feat by itself, what more if it is Queen Elizabeth II.

6. Elon Musk — Would love to join his SpaceX project in the future and cook for him in space.

7. Gordon Ramsay — I have been impersonating him ever since I was a kid, and to cook for him and see his reaction first hand (hopefully positive) would be priceless.

8. Emma Watson — I had a crush on her for the longest time. It would be surreal to get a chance to cook for her.

9. Michael Jordan — Being a huge basketball fan, and to get to cook for the GOAT (greatest of all time), would be the greatest thing ever. Hey, he may even opt to sign my Jordan jersey if he likes my cooking (wishful thinking).

10. Hideo Kojima — The big boss behind Metal Gear, the game that got me into narrative heavy games. He is such a legend to the video game community, that a fall-out with Konami enraged a lot of fans. I play Metal Gear for the story and the characters, and I wish I could say the same for almost all the games I play. The lore just sucks you in, and never lets you go, and it has created great memories for me in terms of gaming.

For you, who are your best chefs?

Heston Blumenthal — His recipes are extremely fascinating. A pioneer of multisensory cooking, and one of only five chefs in Great Britain to have three Michelin stars. And despite this, he still remains curious and still asks questions. His out-of-this-world food pairings are surely one to watch out for.

Gordon Ramsay — I have been watching his shows for as long as I can remember. He shows his scary streak on his hit shows like Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares, but what endears him to his fan base is whenever he shows his soft spot for children. He has 16 Michelin Stars all across his restaurant empire.

Anthony Bourdain — He has this sage-like aura whenever he is on TV that makes people believe in everything he says. I first heard of him through his book Kitchen Confidential, which I got as a gift from my mom back when I was starting culinary school. I was in awe of his honesty and was not surprised that it translated to how he is on television. Having a show like his is such a dream!

Paul Bocuse — First thing that comes to my mind when people mention his name is Nouvelle Cuisine. He has so many students that are prominent chefs now. He was so great that he received the Chef of the Century award. He was truly a master of French cuisine.

Jean Francois — The executive chef of Fairmont-Chateau Lake Louise. One of the most humble chefs I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and work with. He has built an excellent rapport with the people he handles, and is a fantastic chef.

Sau del Rosario — I am a huge fan of his farm-to-table approach, and on how he is not afraid to play around with flavors and still keep them grounded.

Ariel Manuel — The master of masters, and the chef behind the famous restaurant Lolo Dad’s. He is so good at what he does and still remains low-key. Even though my stay in his kitchen was a short one, I was able to learn a lot from it.

Marco Legasto — One of the best chefs here in the country, and he is not afraid to share his kitchen secrets. He had work-life balance down pat. I remembered days where we would go and play basketball in the afternoon while the restaurant is closed, and had to quickly shower after because dinner service would be so packed. He is open to his staff making their own menus. Correction, he encourages it, which is an approach that I still follow when I opened Antojos. It allows for so much creativity to come out.

Margarita Fores — I have been a huge fan of her restaurant chain (Cibo) ever since I was a kid. I love her story, and on how she became a chef. She went and stayed in Italy for four months, and trained under three chefs, and came back and ruled the culinary scene. How awesome is that? I wish I could meet and learn from her.

Mathieu Pare — Chef Pare is Canada’s best chefs. He is now the director of Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence. He was awarded the prestigious Governor General’s Award. Looking forward to cook with him in the future.